Back and Forth on Climate Change

In an July 20, 2015 article posted on ALTERNET by Anastasia Pantsios of EcoWatch, she wrote that “Seven climate change record broken in 2014 reveal Earth is gravely ill,” and that “The annual State of the Climate Report paints an extremely troubling picture of the planet.”

The 25th Annual State of the Climate Report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the American Meteorological Society reports that “indicators of climate change show up everywhere.”

The report is 292 pages, consisting of analyses by over 400 scientists studying everything from temperatures to precipitation to extreme weather events to ice melt all over the world.

Referring to the report, Jeff Severinghaus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said: “If this is the Earth’s annual check-up, the doctor is saying ‘you are gravely ill’ “.

Here are the seven climate change broken records:

Records for the hottest temperature were shattered everywhere.

The major heat-trapping greenhouse gasses, including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide were at a record high and drove those temperature increases.

Global sea surface temperatures (average) were the highest on record.

“The oceans absorb 90% of the heat trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gasses. The heat content of the ocean’s waters also set a record.”

Sea levels are now 2.6 inches higher than they were 22 years ago.

For 99% of the regular melt season, the Greenland Ice Sheet was above average for its rate of melt.

Antartica’s Larsen B Ice Shelf could disappear before the end of the decade (Source: NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Here is the link to Anastasia Pantsios article where you can access the 25th Annual State of the Climate Report.

Paul Driessen is associated with numerous right-wing think tanks and organizations skeptical of man-made climate change, including the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), where he is a Senior Policy Advisor.

“Results from an irreducibly simple climate model,” concluded that, once discrepancies in Inter-Govenmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) computer models are taken into account, the impact of CO2-driven manmade global warming over the next century (and beyond) is likely to be “no more than one-third to one-half of the IPCC’s current projections” – that is, just 1-2 degrees C (2-4 deg F) by 2100! That’s akin to the Roman and Medieval Warm Periods and would be beneficial, not harmful.”

This May 17, 2015 quote is from Mr. Driessen:

“A couple degrees warmer would be good for humanity and planet, especially with more plant-fertilizing carbon dioxide in the air. […] But a couple degrees colder would bring serious adverse consequences for habitats, wildlife, agriculture and humanity.”

Here is the site to access this material, where is concludes with the sentence: “The warmists are losing their argument. Their desperation is beginning to show.”

Then again, on August 3, 2015 President Obama said: “I am convinced that no challenge poses a greater threat to our future, to future generations, than a changing climate.”

Then again, an article in the August 8 – 15, 2015 The Economist cited that: Power plants are America’s largest source of greenhouse gasses, accounting for just under a third of all emissions.”

Then again, here’s a letter to the editor in the August 10-17, 2015 New Yorker:

“It is wrong to assume that electric utilities do not embrace renewable sources of energy. Electric utilities are making great strides to install and invest in renewable technologies, including wind and solar. Approximately sixty percent of all solar capacity in the United States is owned, operated and maintained by electric power companies. I am the executive vice-president of the Edison Electric Institute, the association that represents all U.S. investor owned electric companies, which serve more than two hundred and twenty million Americans. Just last year, Edison Electric and the Natural Resources Defense Council signed an agreement to support policies that enhance the electric grid for the benefit of consumers and the environment. This puts us on a path toward better clean-energy resources. The agreement includes an outline for a forward-thinking approach to distributed generation systems, which is the way that consumers generate electricity from small sources such as rooftop solar panels. The electric-utility industry is committed to serving consumer’s interests and promoting the growth of renewable technologies.